“She didn’t really talk to any boys.” Vivian chewed for a moment. “I remember she used to lock up the church after we all went home. She always wore the key around her neck during youth group. It was as if her parents didn’t trust her not to lose the thing.”
“Who did she lock up with?”
“Arthur Graystone, he used to head the youth group back then.”
“Mayor Graystone?” Thomas’s voice held a certain edge to it. Ellis identified immediately with that edge. Dear old Mayor Graystone had once again popped up in connection with his mother.
Yesterday, Andy Beamer, who ran the pharmacy, remembered seeing Arthur Graystone with someone who looked like Cathy out near Lookout Point one night. But the thought of Arthur with the minister’s daughter had been so absurd that Andy realized he must have seen wrong and mistaken Cathy for Graystone’s wife, Sophie. It still had struck him as strange, because he couldn’t for the life of him think of one good reason why Arthur and his wife would go parking. He had dismissed the whole thing from his mind years ago and hadn’t remembered it until Thomas had brought up Arthur’s name.
“He wasn’t the mayor back then,” Norma supplied another tidbit of information. “He use to drive Cathy home when the meetings were done and everyone went home.”
“How old would Arthur Graystone have been back then?” No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t picture his mother and some old married man together.
“Oh, he was what, twenty-five or twenty-six?” Vivian glanced at Norma for confirmation. “But I do know he was one handsome-looking man back then. Still is for that matter.”
“Oh my, yes,” Norma said. “Sophie Bradshaw could have had her pick of men from miles around, but no one suited her but Arthur.”
“Only the best for Sophie,” echoed Vivian.
“Do either of you remember if Arthur was happy back then? I know him and Sophie are still together, but you know how sometimes marriage can be a little shaky in the beginning.” Thomas was rubbing his jaw.
“Sophie was delirious. Daddy had given them that big old house as a wedding present.” Norma wrinkled her nose.
“And a maid,” added Vivian. “Can you imagine someone in Coalsburg receiving a maid for a wedding present?” Vivian took another sip of her coffee. “I remember the maid because quite frankly I was jealous.”
“So, Sophie was rolling in newfound marital bliss.” He wanted answers and he didn’t give a flying fig about Sophie or how many maids she had received. “What about Arthur?”
“Arthur got what he wanted when he married Sophie. He got the manager’s job at the mill with a hefty salary, a fancy sports car, a new house and Sophie. What more could the man want?” Vivian seemed to think that was all that made a man happy.
Ellis knew different. It took love. It took a family to make a man happy. “But was he happy, Vivian?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Norma said as she frowned down at her coffee. “In the first couple of years of his marriage, Arthur wasn’t happy. He had been bought, and he knew it.”
“He was one of the deacons at my grandparents’ church the year I was conceived,” Ellis said, glancing at Norma, who seemed to be the more perceptive of the two. “Was he a very religious man?”
“He was the deacon because that’s what Sophie’s father told him to be. Sam Bradshaw wanted the best for his daughter, so he was bound and determined to mold Arthur into the best.” Norma slowly nodded her head. “Sam succeeded too. Today Arthur Graystone is Coalsburg’s mayor and leading citizen.”
“In your opinion, Norma, do you think Arthur was capable of having an affair with my mother?”
“Saints!” cried Vivian, clearly outraged by such a suggestion.
Norma handled the question with a sense of calmness. “Yes.”
“Oh my.” Vivian shuddered. “Do you mean to tell me you think Arthur might be your father?”
He didn’t know what to think. Arthur Graystone’s name didn’t mean a thing to him. All he was interested in was the possibility of the man being his father. So far Graystone was the only candidate. Ellis shuddered and let Norma answer.
“He could very well be,” Norma said.
“That would explain a lot of things,” Thomas said. “Cathy never would have had her parents’ support once the scandal of her being pregnant ripped through the town. Arthur never would have claimed the child and forfeited the golden egg he had found with Sophie. But worse yet would have been Sophie’s wrath. Spoiled, pampered and rich Sophie Bradshaw Graystone would have ripped the young and innocent Cathy Carlisle to shreds and picked her perfectly capped teeth with the bones.”
Vivian and Norma shuddered and whispered in unison, “Amen to that one.”
Ellis leaned back in his chair and smiled. He had a name! Finally, he had a name!
Chapter 11
Ellis stopped the, car at the sight of the ten-foot-tall black iron gates guarding the brick driveway leading to Arthur Graystone’s home. His glance shot to the brass plaque neatly screwed into the brick wall supporting the open gates. The plaque proclaimed this was Graystone Manor. A more presumptuous display of wealth he had never seen. A manor in the middle of Coalsburg. He almost chuckled at the thought but he was afraid he might choke on the gesture. He was about to meet his father, or at least the man Thomas and he thought was his father.
The pieces seem to fit Arthur Graystone and Catherine Carlisle had been seen together quite a few times. More important, they were seen together at the time she had conceived him. Arthur Graystone was the only man who had been linked to his mother, besides her own father. He had to be his father. Trevor’s hope lay beyond those imposing black gates.
He glanced at Sydney, who was sitting silently beside him staring at those same black gates. She didn’t have to come, but she had insisted. Not only had she set up the appointment with the mayor, she had contacted Thomas’s sister, Mary, to come stay with Trevor and her father. He reached out, took her hand and skimmed his thumb over her pounding pulse. “Relax, Sydney.”
Sydney gave him a look that clearly said he had lost his mind. “Aren’t you nervous at all?”
“Let’s say I’m anxious.”
“Because you’re about to meet your father for the first time?”
“No, because I’m about to find out if Trevor has a chance.” He was also anxious because there was a very good chance, should Graystone admit to being his father, that he would punch the son of a bitch for what he had done to Catherine Carlisle. He would have to control that impulse until after the results of the blood test were in. That is, if Arthur agreed to taking one.
“It doesn’t mean anything to you that Arthur might be your father?”
He shook his head. “Not a thing, Sydney. Just because a man has a sperm count doesn’t mean he’s a father. It takes a heart and a whole lot of love to be a father. Arthur Graystone obviously lacks in both of those departments.” Sydney, of all people, should know that. She called Thomas, the man who couldn’t be her or anyone else’s natural father, Dad. His gaze returned to the open gates and the winding driveway beyond. “I’m only here because of Trevor. He’s the only thing that matters.” He released her hand, shifted the car into gear and headed up the driveway.
Graystone Manor was one impressive-looking house. It was all brick with black shutters and gleaming brass everywhere. Circular marble steps led to the front door. He parked the car on the circular driveway and opened Sydney’s door.
“Does he always conduct mayoral business from his house?” As far as Arthur Graystone knew, Sydney’s request for an appointment had to do with the town’s business. Sydney had thought, and Ellis had agreed, that the first step was to get in to see Arthur. The second step was to confront him about Catherine.
“Coalsburg can’t afford to build a city hall or any kind of administrative offices. The town meetings are held in the hall at the firehouse, but Arthur prefers to do business out of his home.” Sydney smoothed a wrinkle out of her sk
irt. “Arthur and Sophie both like to impress people with their wealth.”
“Do you think Sophie is going to be home?” He didn’t want to confront Arthur on his infidelity while his wife was in the room.
“No.” Sydney followed him up the grandiose marble steps. “I know for a fact she’s attending the monthly women’s group meeting at their church. Sophie never misses a meeting. She’s their president.”
He reached up and tenderly touched her cheek. “Smart and beautiful.”
Sydney grinned. “Remember that.”
A chuckle escaped his throat as he pressed the doorbell. When he had first met Sydney, that comment would have caused her to blush. A very becoming blush that would have intrigued his senses. Sydney was now more relaxed in their relationship, more natural. The woman standing beside him now not only intrigued his senses, she captured his heart.
The door was opened by a woman wearing a plain green dress. He wouldn’t class it as a uniform, but it was surely meant to be one. “Yes, may I help you?”
“My name’s Sydney St. Claire. We have an appointment with the mayor.” Sydney smiled pleasantly at the woman.
“Come in, please.” The door opened wider as the woman took a step back. “I believe he’s expecting you.”
He followed Sydney into the foyer and felt his curiosity pique. A sweeping staircase curved its way to the second floor and a crystal chandelier the size of a Cadillac hung from the thirty-foot-high ceiling. Antique settees were placed at just the right spot and gilt-framed portraits followed the stairs upward. He counted three fresh-flower arrangements as the woman walked them across the foyer to a closed door.
The woman knocked lightly, opened the door and announced, “Your ten o’clock appointment is here, Mr. Graystone.”
“Good, show them in, Claire.” Arthur Graystone’s voice emerged from the room.
Claire took a step back. “Mr. Graystone will see you now.”
For some absurd reason, he felt as if he had just been granted an audience with the great Wizard of Oz. He had to wonder if all the stress he had been under was finally getting to him. He gave Sydney an encouraging nod as they both entered the room.
Arthur Graystone rose from behind his massive teak desk. “Sydney, welcome.”
Sydney reached for Arthur’s outstretched hand and gave it a polite shake. “Hello, Arthur. I would like you to meet Ellis Carlisle.”
He watched Arthur’s face, looking for any sign of recognition to his last name. There was none. Graystone had a poker face, displaying only a small glimpse of curiosity as he shook his hand. The only gesture he could pick up on was the fact that Arthur Graystone didn’t once meet his gaze. The man seemed unusually interested in Ellis’s right shoulder. “Mr. Mayor.”
Arthur released his hand and smiled a politician smile. “Mr. Carlisle. Won’t you both have a seat.” Arthur waved to the two empty chairs in front of his desk. When they were both seated, he returned to his position behind the desk and sat. “So, Sydney, what can I do for you?”
Sydney folded her hands and placed them on her lap. “I’m afraid this is of a private matter, Arthur.”
“Oh?” Arthur arched one gray eyebrow but he didn’t seem particularly surprised.
Sydney gave Ellis a sideways look and waited for him to step into the conversation. Her part in the meeting was done, she had supplied the introductions. The next step was up to him.
He supposed Vivian and Norma were right. Arthur Graystone could be classed as a handsome man, even at his age, which Ellis had approximated to be around fiftyeight. He was in excellent shape and though his hair was mostly gray now, Ellis could tell it had been blond in his youth. The same color as his own.
“Do you remember a young woman named Catherine Carlisle?” He was struggling not to come right out and demand if Arthur was his father. For Trevor’s sake he would control both his temper and his words. Arthur started to shake his head and Ellis quickly added, “You would have to go back about thirty-three years, and she was only in high school at the time.” If Arthur refused to acknowledge that he even knew his mother, he honestly didn’t know what he would do. Deck the older man was his top choice.
“Catherine Carlisle?”
“She went by Cathy. Her father was the minister at the Methodist church in town. You were a deacon there at the time.” He was willing to supply as much information required to help Arthur’s memory kick in.
“Oh, yes, the Carlisles. I remember them now. Mr. Carlisle was a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher. Mrs. Carlisle played the organ.”
“What about Cathy, their daughter?”
“Sorry, don’t remember much about Cathy. She was quiet and shy. The wallflower type if I’m not mistaken.”
He was on his feet and approaching the desk before he could stop himself. Only the soft pressure of Sydney’s hand on his arm stopped him from climbing over the desk and throttling the man. He sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it through his nose before quietly asking, “Do you always have affairs with the wallflower type, Mr. Graystone?”
Arthur stood up, but his gaze never went higher than the second button on Ellis’s shirt. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Mr. Carlisle. But I do know that I don’t appreciate the insinuation.”
“Did you or did you not have an affair with Catherine Carlisle thirty-three years ago that resulted in a child?”
“No, I did not.”
He knew Arthur was lying, but his hands were tied. The only way he could force the truth out of the mayor was to beat it out of him. He couldn’t do that because that would kill all chances of Arthur agreeing to be tested. He had to try a different tactic. Arthur Graystone wasn’t as cool and calm as he wanted them to believe. “I’m Catherine’s son. The man she had an affair with, while she was still in high school, is my father.”
Arthur’s hands trembled violently against the desk. “I’m not that man.”
He felt his frustration level topple over the edge. Trevor’s miracle was dissolving before his very eyes and there was nothing he could do. If Arthur Graystone was that coldhearted not to admit to being his father, the man would never agree to be tested. “Catherine Carlisle was a good, honest woman who had to struggle daily to raise me on her own. She gave me everything I could possibly need, especially her love, until the day she died.” He glared in disgust at the man hiding behind the width of his desk. “I hope to hell you are right. You aren’t man enough to be connected in any way to my mother.”
He had to get out of there before he did something incredibly stupid. “Let’s go, Sydney. It takes a spine to admit to a past mistake. Your illustrious mayor happens not to have one.” He turned and headed for the door.
Sydney’s heart was breaking for Ellis and his son. There had to be a way to reach Arthur. She had been silently studying the two men and she could see the resemblance, even if they couldn’t. Both Ellis and Arthur held themselves in a certain way, the color of their hair was the same, even though Arthur was now mostly gray, and the squareness of their jaws was identical. They had the look of a father and a son.
She had vaguely known Arthur since she had been ten years old, but she had learned that he was basically a very unhappy man—in his life and in his marriage. He and Sophie turned out for all the right social occasions, but they were otherwise never together. The rumor about town had been that Sophie was unable to have children, so they’d remained childless. She had seen Arthur’s envious glances at young families over the years and had always wondered why they had never adopted. Arthur seemed more resolved now with his life, but maybe it was all a front. Maybe Trevor, not Ellis, was the key to breaking Arthur’s silence.
She knew Ellis didn’t want Trevor’s illness mentioned as the main reason that he was now searching for his father. But she had to try. Instead of following Ellis to the door, she approached the desk.
Arthur looked up and met her gaze.
She wasn’t startled to discover that Ellis had Arthur’s eyes. They
were the same shade of steel gray. She knew Ellis had stopped by the door and was waiting for her. She prayed he would forgive her. “Arthur, you have a five-year-old grandson named Trevor.”
Arthur flinched, gripped the desk harder but didn’t say a word.
“Trevor is critically ill. He’s dying of leukemia.” She narrowed her gaze and willed Arthur to respond in some way. “His best and probably only chance of survival is a bone marrow transplant. It needs to be done now, while he’s in remission. Being Trevor’s natural grandfather there is a chance, a very slim chance, that you could match his bone marrow and become his donor.” She leaned closer and hammered in her point. “You can save your grandson’s life, Arthur.”
Arthur paled considerably, but remained silent.
Ellis stepped next to Sydney. “It’s not for me, Graystone. I’m begging you for my son’s life, your only grandchild’s life.”
She reached out and held Ellis’s hand. The room was swimming because of her tears but she could see Arthur fighting his emotions. She silently prayed.
“Name your price, Graystone. You married Sophie for her money and everything it could buy you. I’ll double it all!” Ellis thrust his fingers through his hair as his voice broke. “He’s my son, Graystone, and you’re my last hope. Name your price!”
Arthur’s gaze studied the top of his desk. He didn’t raise his head or speak a word.
Ellis couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He had to get out of the room before he rearranged every feature on Arthur’s face. “Let’s go, Sydney. I’ve got to get out of here.”
She watched Ellis storm to the door and open it. She started to follow only to freeze in her tracks when Arthur softly said, “I’ll take the test.”
Ellis didn’t turn around. His knuckles turned white as they gripped the doorjamb. “Name your price.”
“It’s steep. I don’t know if you’ll be willing to pay it.” Arthur’s voice trembled.
“Name it!” Ellis’s voice was more of a growl than a demand.
“Forgiveness for the past.” Arthur slowly lowered himself into the chair behind the desk.
A Father's Promise (Intimate Moments) Page 18